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Edmonton motorcycle advocates urge motorists to ‘share the road’ after fatal crashes

WATCH ABOVE: Fatal motorcycle accidents in and outside of the city are hitting home for the riding community. Safety advocates are urging not just drivers but also motorcyclists to share the road, Sarah Komadina has more – Jun 23, 2019

There have been five fatal motorcycle crashes in Alberta so far this year — four happened in Edmonton.

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Police are investigating a crash that happened on Scona Road Saturday. A 33-year-old man died from his injuries in hospital and police said speed was a factor.

READ MORE: Man, 33, killed in motorcycle crash on Scona Road

These situations have Liane Langlois, avid motorcyclist and Alberta Motorcycle Safety Society president, on high alert.

“Every day, I get on my bike, I think I could die today,” Langlois said Sunday.

“City driving — there [are] way too many factors going on, like our streets are congested already. There [are] just so many vehicles on the road and people on their phones, distracted driving. All of those things.”
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Still, Langlois is willing to take the risk. She said it’s just part of who she is.

“It brings me peace of mind, oddly enough,” Langlois said.

She said that it’s all about paying attention to the road and everyone doing their part.

“Just share the road,” Langlois said.

READ MORE: Motorcyclist from Alberta dies after colliding with deer in Ingramport, N.S.

When it comes to experience level, Justin Knapik, Edmonton Fire Department Station 11 captain, said everyone is at risk of being in a crash and a lot of factors come to play when riding.

“Everything ends up being a risk. When you look around, all the light poles, the fire hydrants, the curbs [at] any of the bus stop areas, anything like that can become a fatal interaction for a motorcyclist,” Knapik said.
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Knapik also owns On Track Performance, a motorcycle racing school. He said that taking training in a course environment can help motorcyclists improve their skills for highway and city driving.

“Practicing core skills in a controlled environment is substantially safer and more effective in trying to practice those skills out on a street when [you’ve] got curbs and cars and other drivers,” he said.

According to AMA, six in 10 collisions involving motorcycles result in injury or death.

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